After Cherry Hill Dog Walker's Sudden Death, Family Picks Up Where He Left Off

CHERRY HILL, NJ — After decades working day and night as one of the region's premier pet-care teams, Kevin and Tracy Neal looked forward to finally taking a step back. Then, the Cherry Hill couple received life-shattering news.

Last September, the day began like any other, with Kevin spending the morning walking dogs in Cherry Hill. He later went to the doctor for an MRI on his shoulder.

As he and Tracy awaited the results, the doctor revealed that Kevin had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which had spread throughout his body.

Kevin hadn't shown any cancer symptoms. But days later, the longtime dog-walker and pet-sitter died at 62.

• Related: Well-Known Dog Walker, Pet Sitter In Cherry Hill Mourned After Battle With Cancer

"A lot of people miss him. A lot of pets miss him," Tracy told Patch. "Even my dog was in grief. She was in mourning. A lot of dogs were."

About 40 years ago, Kevin and Tracy founded PT's Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Service, which brought them into the lives of thousands of pets throughout South Jersey. Unlike many competitors, their business visits each pet's home several times a day for individualized care, rather than boarding them in unfamiliar locations, Tracy says.

Their business grew to thousands of households split among them and eventually their adult sons, Cody and Jack.

The Neals organize their clients' house keys by each pet's name. With some of the more common pet names, such as Max, they have close to 100 sets of keys.

For each family member, a typical day will consist of 15 to 18 dog walks, along with pet-sitting stops at different hours. Tracy estimates that they have between 10 to 15 regular stops per day, along with residents taking vacations.

They work seven days a week, even moving Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings to each prior weekend so neighbors can enjoy the holidays. But they love the job.

"It's wonderful," Tracy said. "Neighbors notice, 'Wow, the dogs are so happy walking with you.' Their tails are up. They're alert, because we pay attention to them."

Punctuality is a major component of their business, Tracy says. Whenever Kevin was scheduled to come around, dogs were often already waiting for him by the window.

Tracy compares Kevin to Dr. Dolittle — the fictional character portrayed by Eddie Murphy who could talk to animals. But there was nothing fictional about Kevin's connections with pets, which were built around positive reinforcement.

"Kevin came up with a great trick," Tracy said. "A lot of dogs get scared or they bark at the UPS trucks or the long maintenance trucks that go rattling around. Kevin would hear them first, and he would make the doggy sit, give them kisses and a biscuit, and the problem would pass."

Last year, Kevin and Tracy were planning to take a step back and let their children take over PT's. After decades of work, the husband and wife looked forward to going on a vacation.

They never got the chance. But after Kevin died, the Neals mobilized to carry on. his legacy.

When Kevin died Oct. 4, his pet-sitting and dog-walking clients had his services booked through January. Not a single appointment was missed.

Cody and Jack stepped up with Tracy to serve every pet on Kevin's schedule, while managing their own — every dog walk, every home visit and every insulin shot.

The mother and sons continue to serve the same area in Cherry Hill and beyond.

During Kevin's final days in home hospice care, he and Tracy reflected on their 38 years as a couple and in business. They had no regrets.

"We would have done it the same way again, just taking care of everyone," Tracy said. "It's such a great feeling knowing that you have these dogs 100 percent safe and sound and free from harm, loving their lives while their family is out."

Visit PT's Pet Sitting's website for more info on the business.